*** Official ASUS P4C800/Deluxe (875P) Thread ***

[DAVIDS]

Originally posted by: computer

The P4C800-E has one only Promise PRI_RAID connector. But you can connect TWO drives to it. I've never used it on my board, so I can't tell you how well it works.

Thanks for the input. So can anyone tell me if ONE hard drive can be connected to the PRI-RAID connector? I think I'm going to get this mobo now, and I need that "extra" IDE connector for my secondary "storage hard drive".

Does this mobo come with a joystick port header in all retail versions? I don't see any MIDI connector on the I/O area.

Can anyone verify you can use ALL IDE ports AND all SATA ports at the SAME time?

Has anyone found a price cheaper than $187 for the P4C800-E Deluxe?

There is an internal GAME/MIDI connector. The board comes with a special cable for that connection.

Theoretically, you could use all the SATA and IDE ports at the same time, though I don't know of anyone who is. I know some people are using two drives for RAID and one or two drives on the IDE ports.

I've seen one place that has this board for $180. link

By the way, if you haven't seen it already, Anandtech has a review of this board.

 

[IronWolf11]

Hey Computer thanks for all the help. I have not tried using that nic again yet. I will try the 3com when I get some spare time, cause I dont got much right now with school. Also, yes my router does block everything except the leak test, I ran those before as well. One thing is my linksys router doesnt have a FW built in, its just NAT which really isnt a firewall. For the one guy who asked, the reason you put a software firewall is if youve dled a file, and somehow it slips buy your antivirus and it has like a trojan in it, that trojan would be able to communicate data out of your computer, but a software firewall stops outoging as well. Sygate is a great firewall and thats why I dont understand its complications with the 3com chip.

 

[IronWolf11]

I have actually been thinkinh about picking up the D-704P router computer, how well of a router is it? I have ehard a lot of good things about it

 

[DAVIDS]

Originally posted by: computer

The P4C800-E has one only Promise PRI_RAID connector. But you can connect TWO drives to it. I've never used it on my board, so I can't tell you how well it works.

Thanks for the input. So can anyone tell me if ONE hard drive can be connected to the PRI-RAID connector? I think I'm going to get this mobo now, and I need that "extra" IDE connector for my secondary "storage hard drive".

Does this mobo come with a joystick port header in all retail versions? I don't see any MIDI connector on the I/O area.

Can anyone verify you can use ALL IDE ports AND all SATA ports at the SAME time?

Has anyone found a price cheaper than $187 for the P4C800-E Deluxe?

Forgot to answer your question about the PRI_RAID connector. To be quite honest, I don't know.

By the way, you can download the manual for this board. Here's a link

 

[Xeon]

Sorry for the blank post here, I couldn't find a way to delete this. See my post below.

 

[Xeon]

I'm getting ready to build my first machine, following is the configuration I'm planning to buy and build. Can any of you tell me if there is anything you see wrong with this setup or provide advice for a piece of this system you would change if you were going to build yourself a new box today?

Asus P4C800-E
Thermaltake Highest Xaser III V2000A Super Tower
Intel 3.2 Ghz i875P Processor
2 - Western Digital 10K Raptor Drives or Caviar's
TWINX1024-4000 500 MHz 1GB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 3-4-4-8 Twin Modules 32Mx8 ??
TWINX1024-3200LL 400 MHz 1GB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 2-3-2-6-T1 Twin Modules 32Mx8 ??
Pioneer DVR-A06U DVD/CD Writer

I would love your oppinions concerning the HDD's, I'm not sure which of the two to go with, I'm seeing some pretty close benchmarks between the Caviar's and the Raptor's but would love to have the extra space the Caviar's provide as long as they truly are about as fast as the Raptor's. The bottom line is I want the speed more than I want the extra space but if these two drives are close enough then I'd go for the Caviar's simply because they do have more space. What are your thoughts/experiences?

I haven't decided on the Graphics card for this yet but would love to hear your suggestions in this area as well as the Memory that I have shown above. It's not clear to me if I'm going to be able to use the 500 Mhz memory from Corsair for this MOBO, has anyone used this hot Memory on this board? If so, I'd love to hear about how it went. Any and all advice any of you have concerning what I'm planning to build here would be appreciated. Is this configuration been built by any of you? If so, did you run into any issues? Please advise.

Thanks for your time,

 

[Xeon]

OK, I definately need an education on Memory and which would be best for the P4C800-E.

The manual says the following:

Dual-channel memory architecture
4 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 4GB memory
Supports PC3200/2700/2100 unbuffered ECC or non-ECC DDR DIMMs

My first question is, which would be better the ECC or non-ECC DDR DIMMs. I'm assuming it would be the non-ECC DDR DIMMs.

If that's the case then which of the Corsair brand of memory would be the hottest for this P4C800-E?

I'm planning on purchasing 2 Gig's worth of memory, both of which will be 1 Gig each so that I have matching pairs, but I'm not sure which of the following to get. You'll have to forgive my ignorance in this area since I haven't been following it for quite some time now. According to the manual you can only go as high as the 3200, but is this in fact true? Has anyone tried the 500 Mhz 4000 or 3700 with this board?

What's the difference between the 3200LL and the 3200C2? I know one is the low latency but I have no idea what that means.

Any and all help would be appreciated!


New! 1 GByte 500MHz Ultrafast Matched Pair!!
TWINX1024-4000 500 MHz 1GB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 3-4-4-8 Twin Modules 32Mx8

1 GByte 467MHz Matched Pair!
TWINX1024-3700 467 MHz 1GB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 3-4-4-8 Twin Modules 32Mx8

1GB 400MHz Matched Pair!
TWINX1024-3200LL 400 MHz 1GB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 2-3-2-6-T1 Twin Modules 32Mx8

1GB 400MHz Matched Pair!
TWINX1024-3200C2 400 MHz 1024MB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 2-3-3-6-T1 Twin Modules 32Mx8

1GB 333MHz Matched Pair!
TWINX1024-2700LL 333 MHz 1GB 2x64Mx64 2x184 DIMM 2-2-2-5-T1 Twin Modules 32M x 8

 

[computer]

DAVIDS, thanks....I've had the pdf manual I've been reading through a bit, but it doesn't say anything about hooking up one HD to the PRI-RAID. Also, that's a shipped price I quoted sorry. Most of the time when prices are mentioned here they are "shipped". That link you gave is about $190 shipped. Still a good price, but doesn't quite beat $187 ($186.74 to be exact).

IronWolf11, when you unload Sygate, does it block your traffic (that is, if you have it set that way)? Mine still won't block ANY traffic when it's unloaded!

I can't say about the DI-704P, but I do know there are 3 versions and you want to get the "C" revision because it has a faster CPU. I've used the 704 for about 2 years, *******************.....well I better delete that comment because every time I comment good on something, it "explodes". :| The first rev. of the 704P looks different than Rev.'s B & C, but the latter two look exactly the same as each other. The only way you can tell them apart is by looking underneath them. You probably know the only basic difference from the 704 is parallel port printer sharing on the 704P. See link on how to tell Rev. B from C. I guess Rev. C would also have a faster processor than the 704 that I have. I don't see it at their site anymore, probably discontinued.

I got a 704P for a customer's PC a couple days ago from Compgeeks for only $36, it was 'reconditioned' though. That was OK by them so I got it. That's a great price. I just checked pricewatch and now some other places have the refurb DI-704P cheaper, but with only 30 day warranty. Geeks' was 180 day. You know, that's something to consider; all these refurb units. I don't recall seeing any refurb 704 units. There may be a problem with the 704P units hence all the refurbs. Actually a new 704P is cheaper now than a new 704. I didn't look at all listings at pricewatch, but I didn't even see any 704 units on the first few pages. If you enter DI-704 there, you'll see other units similar to the 704 some vendors have listed that may be worth checking out (DI-604, DI-707, DI-804) and also other brands that are cheaper. (I don't know what version of the 704P geeks is selling, I forgot to look, and need to unbox it again to find out. I'm curious to know, so I'll check later).

The 704P may NEED a faster processor due to the print server, where as the 704 may not benefit from a faster processor. There is software you have to install for the 704P, but the 704 needs no 'ware AT ALL. Plug it in the wall, plug the RJ45 jack on it's front to your NIC, and your modem's RJ45 in the rear, and that's it. Enter pass and user one time via it's "browser interface", and never again. Then you have an "always on" connection & nothing running in the background is needed. Totally transparent except for the firewall. BTW, FYI...You do need to tweak your cable or DSL settings differently when you use a router. Your TCRW needs to be different is one that comes to mind. (I use Dr. TCP to see and modify settings as per dslreports.com suggests, but I've found the XP DSL1500/256 plugin from CableNut.com is better. I got over 500k downloads with it).

 

[computer]

Xeon, first, there is no "Intel 3.2 Ghz i875P Processor". The 875P is just one of the motherboard chipsets the CPU can operate on.

Secondly, don't get 3.2ghz CPU. Get the 2.4C P4. Not only is the 3.2ghz more than 3.5 times more, but the 2.4C will overclock in many cases to ~3400mhz. Now I can't say if this is the same in this instance; but a recent review compared the 2.4, 2.6, and 3.06 P4's (all HT and 800mhz bus) and the 2.4C was FASTER because it enabled the overclocker faster FSB speeds, which is going to improve overall system performance. It also actually O'clocked MORE than the 2.6, and to within only a few mhz of the 3.06ghz! Clearly the 2.4C is the one to get in that case. I would think the 3.2ghz has the same limitations as the 3.06ghz (multiplier too high for good FSB o'clocks), and since it's over $600 and the 2.4C is only currently $166, that's a no brainer.

The best memory to get at no cost considered is the OCZ PC4000 if you're going to overclock. If you are not, the OCZ PC3700 GOLD was the fastest memory tested at DDR500 speeds, even faster than top PC4000 brands. Since these modules are VERY expensive, the best best is the Geil PC4000 Ultra Platinum which came in 2nd overall in the tests (above Corsair, Kingston,et al). It is only $152 (2x256) while the OCZ PC3700 is about $220 and OCZ PC4000 is about $230. I can't see paying about ~$70 or more for only a few benchmark points. The Geil PC4000 was even faster in some tests, but overall the OCZ 4000 was faster. They not only overclocked more, but also had the fastest timings. The Corsair was a bit down on the list and CAS3. OCZ4000 is CAS 2.5 as is the Geil. OCZ3700 is CAS2. See one review here for more info.

In a nutshell, all you need to know is the lower the memory timings, the better. In short, 2-2-2-5 is great. The first # is the CAS setting and is usually the most important. These settings can be changed in the mobo's BIOS. Faster memory has SLOWER timings. So, you want the fastest mhz memory you can get, with the lowest timings. There are many arguments here on what is more important: timings or FSB speed, but most tests show on Intel platforms that the bandwidth (FSB speed) takes more precedence over timings in most cases. On good memory, timings can usually be lowered more than their specs. Since I don't yet have a dual channel 867/875 mobo, I tried my 2x256mb Geil Ultra Platinum PC4000 for the hell of it on my Asus P4B533. The Geil is rated at 2.5-3-3-7 (which is the fastest I've seen on PC4000 memory, same as the OCZ PC4000). I have a 1.8a CPU and was able to get it to 2.4ghz on this mobo with my old PC2700 512mb stick. I put the Geil on and DEFAULT timings and it was SLOWER. I was actually able to set the Geil timings to 2-2-2-5 (which is what they were for the old PC2700 stick) and it was then slightly faster in most tests than the old stick RUNNING AT THE SAME SPEEDS. Then I was able to O'clock more to 140mhz FSB (25xxMhz) with the Geil which then gave MUCH faster bench's than the old stick. Now I know this is not DDR500 speeds, but still it's pretty good to be able to run DDR500 (PC4000) memory at those incredibly tight timings.

Another thing to consider with memory (and in the P4C800-E Deluxe) is Double Sided Vs. Single-Side modules. Double sided are going to give you more bandwidth and faster performance...... GENERALLY. I say generally because in the case of the P4C800-E Deluxe, IT TURNS OFF PAT in the BIOS when 4 DS modules are used! Yet, you can enable PAT with 4 SS modules making the latter faster in this case! I was going to send back or sell my Geil memory since I thought they were DS modules, but the 2x256mb DC kit is NOT. NOW after seeing this about no PAT w/4 DS modules and that being slower than 4 SS modules with PAT, I think I'm keeping them since I've pretty much decided on this mobo. (Since I'll probably eventually get another 2x256 sticks). Here is the article on that. If any of your ARE running FOUR DS memory modules on this mobo WITH PAT ACTIVATED, please let us know the details.

DDR400/PC3200 is the highest listed in manuals because that is the fastest speed NOT OVERCLOCKED. That is the default speeds for an 800mhz FSB CPU (which is really 200mhz bus, as is DDR400 really operates at 200mhz since it's "DOUBLE DATA Rate"). Most good PC3200 will overclock a good bit more, but for the most performance, you'd need some faster memory; PC3700-4000. (DDR500 is also "halved", and runs at 250mhz). Since a 2.4C is a 12x multiplier (12x200 is 2400), when you bump the FSB to 250mhz (DDR500 memory or really good DDR400 memory possibly) this is going to give you 3000mhz. These are 1:1 CPU:memory ratio of course, which is a whole other story.

For your HD's.......the Raptors are a bit faster, especially at RAID 0. You're best bet would use 2 of them in RAID 0 0n the ICH5R controller, then get a WD800JB or WD2500JB for storage. Put your OS, swap file, program files, on the Raptors and on different partitions, then put your downloads, backups, storage, maybe the OE storage folder, on the WDxxxxJB drive.

I can't say about video cards, I'm in the same boat there as you.

HTH.

 

[ThomS]

Thanks for the help the other night guys, that was great I was looking for an actual option in the bios for a ratio but i guess i was mistaken. Another question, what do you think about leaving the vcore on auto should I try to fix it as low as possible? Asus probe reports spikes of 1.6 on auto, I think this is acceptable being that these spikes appear to be few and far between, but the lower the better, right?

 

[trininox]

Originally posted by: IronWolf11
I didnt see if this was psoted or not, but I for one am not happy with the built in 3Com. Firstly, it will not run with sygate personal firewall and a friend who has an ABIT board with the same controller has the same problem. However his D-link router works with his. The problem is, not only does syagte not work, but I am running into problems with this LOM and my Linksys router. It doesnt matter if I DMZ myself even, things like remote assitance in MSN and such wont work. I have installed another netgear external nic and tried a realtek. Both allow me to run everything, not DMZed, and woth sygate. Everything functions properly. Either this 3Com card has a swack of incompatablilites, I am the only one tryign these products, or 3Com really needs to amke a set of decent drivers. Anyone know?

6. Fixed MSN messenger with Windows Messenger file transfer.

Just saw that on the lastest firmware for my Linksys router.
Firmware Date : June 24, 2003
Current Firmware : Version 1.45.6
Product PartNo : BEFSR11/BEFSR41/BEFSRU31

 

[trininox]

Originally posted by: IronWolf11
I have actually been thinkinh about picking up the D-704P router computer, how well of a router is it? I have ehard a lot of good things about it

its alright, Linksys and D-link are comparable manufactures

 

[trininox]

I've got a problem with a new system my friend got and I built for him its almost identical to mine.
We have had to reseat the processor twice to get it to reboot, it gave us "failed cpu test".
I've also seen it give the corruped bios message where it wants the CD to restore it, but i just cycled power and it works.

after reseating, it detects new processor and yadda yadda.

I gave him a Memtest86 (v3) cd to run on it overnight so i'll see what that turns up but wonder if anyone had any ideas.

 

[Xeon]

First off I'd like to say thank you computer for taking the time to explain all this to me. It was very helpful and informative, not only to me, but I'm sure to others as well.

I do have some questions and observations I'd like to bounce off of you however, so please see my comments below in BOLD

Originally posted by: computer
Xeon, first, there is no "Intel 3.2 Ghz i875P Processor". The 875P is just one of the motherboard chipsets the CPU can operate on.

Secondly, don't get 3.2ghz CPU. Get the 2.4C P4. Not only is the 3.2ghz more than 3.5 times more, but the 2.4C will overclock in many cases to ~3400mhz. Now I can't say if this is the same in this instance; but a recent review compared the 2.4, 2.6, and 3.06 P4's (all HT and 800mhz bus) and the 2.4C was FASTER because it enabled the overclocker faster FSB speeds, which is going to improve overall system performance. It also actually O'clocked MORE than the 2.6, and to within only a few mhz of the 3.06ghz! Clearly the 2.4C is the one to get in that case. I would think the 3.2ghz has the same limitations as the 3.06ghz (multiplier too high for good FSB o'clocks), and since it's over $600 and the 2.4C is only currently $166, that's a no brainer.

The statements above I find to be the most interesting and also the most confusing. Isn't it safe to say that even though the 3.2 will cost you more that it will provide raw speed to the machine that the 2.4 couldn't provide simply because of the clock speed? I'd be interested in seeing the actual review your speaking of because this is the first one I've heard where the results showed that the 2.4C would actually out compute the 3.2. If what you say here is correct then your right I will definately save some money and go with the 2.4C but I've not seen such a review to understand why the 2.4C would provide a faster FSB than the 3.2, so if you could find that review I'd love to read it. I know I'm asking for a lot here, but I don't quite understand what "multiplier too high for good FSB o'clocks" really means, so if you could briefly explain that I'd appreciate it. If this is what is also limits the 3.2 then I think I can see what your driving at even though I don't fully understand how the multiplier really works.

The best memory to get at no cost considered is the OCZ PC4000 if you're going to overclock. If you are not, the OCZ PC3700 GOLD was the fastest memory tested at DDR500 speeds, even faster than top PC4000 brands. Since these modules are VERY expensive, the best best is the Geil PC4000 Ultra Platinum which came in 2nd overall in the tests (above Corsair, Kingston,et al). It is only $152 (2x256) while the OCZ PC3700 is about $220 and OCZ PC4000 is about $230. I can't see paying about ~$70 or more for only a few benchmark points. The Geil PC4000 was even faster in some tests, but overall the OCZ 4000 was faster. They not only overclocked more, but also had the fastest timings. The Corsair was a bit down on the list and CAS3. OCZ4000 is CAS 2.5 as is the Geil. OCZ3700 is CAS2. See one review here for more info.

Yes I can see from that review and your comments that your right on here. What I'm also seeing is that for this mobo, it might even be more advantageous to go with 2 DS DIMMs rather than four, and then once the issue with the PAT is corrected (via an update to the bios from Asus) and I can afford to buy another 2 gigs of ram to fill the slots, it will eventually give me 4 Gigs of optimal DS Ram provided the PAT doesn't get disabled anyomore from using the four DS sticks.

In a nutshell, all you need to know is the lower the memory timings, the better. In short, 2-2-2-5 is great. The first # is the CAS setting and is usually the most important. These settings can be changed in the mobo's BIOS. Faster memory has SLOWER timings. So, you want the fastest mhz memory you can get, with the lowest timings. There are many arguments here on what is more important: timings or FSB speed, but most tests show on Intel platforms that the bandwidth (FSB speed) takes more precedence over timings in most cases. On good memory, timings can usually be lowered more than their specs. Since I don't yet have a dual channel 867/875 mobo, I tried my 2x256mb Geil Ultra Platinum PC4000 for the hell of it on my Asus P4B533. The Geil is rated at 2.5-3-3-7 (which is the fastest I've seen on PC4000 memory, same as the OCZ PC4000). I have a 1.8a CPU and was able to get it to 2.4ghz on this mobo with my old PC2700 512mb stick. I put the Geil on and DEFAULT timings and it was SLOWER. I was actually able to set the Geil timings to 2-2-2-5 (which is what they were for the old PC2700 stick) and it was then slightly faster in most tests than the old stick RUNNING AT THE SAME SPEEDS. Then I was able to O'clock more to 140mhz FSB (25xxMhz) with the Geil which then gave MUCH faster bench's than the old stick. Now I know this is not DDR500 speeds, but still it's pretty good to be able to run DDR500 (PC4000) memory at those incredibly tight timings.

This is great info here and after reading the Memory article what your saying here makes good sense. I'd like to think however that continual updates to the bios by Asus could help push the envelope of running the OCZ PC4000 on this board to it's upper limit. Is this wishful thinking or something that could be feasible in the near future? I'm not to worried about the extra cost so if it's possible that these sticks could ultimately provide the best performance in the end, that's what I'll shoot for.

Another thing to consider with memory (and in the P4C800-E Deluxe) is Double Sided Vs. Single-Side modules. Double sided are going to give you more bandwidth and faster performance...... GENERALLY. I say generally because in the case of the P4C800-E Deluxe, IT TURNS OFF PAT in the BIOS when 4 DS modules are used! Yet, you can enable PAT with 4 SS modules making the latter faster in this case! I was going to send back or sell my Geil memory since I thought they were DS modules, but the 2x256mb DC kit is NOT. NOW after seeing this about no PAT w/4 DS modules and that being slower than 4 SS modules with PAT, I think I'm keeping them since I've pretty much decided on this mobo. (Since I'll probably eventually get another 2x256 sticks). Here is the article on that. If any of your ARE running FOUR DS memory modules on this mobo WITH PAT ACTIVATED, please let us know the details.
, since this will also provide a little edge on going with filling two slots of 512MB each to get to 1 gig and instead go with 4 x 256MB to reach the same total. In my case I'd go with 4 x 512MB rather than 2 x 1024MB to reach the 2 Gig I want. It also appears that going with DS (Double Sided) memory over SS (Single Sided) has an advantage, albeit small but it all adds up. Although the article suggests that filling all these slots up will cause PAT to be disabled, it sounds like Asus will probably address that issue with an update to the bios.

As I mentioned above, I think going for the DS and just filling two slots for now and then finally filling them up once the 4 DS stick issue is corrected, may be the best bet in the long run.

DDR400/PC3200 is the highest listed in manuals because that is the fastest speed NOT OVERCLOCKED. That is the default speeds for an 800mhz FSB CPU (which is really 200mhz bus, as is DDR400 really operates at 200mhz since it's "DOUBLE DATA Rate"). Most good PC3200 will overclock a good bit more, but for the most performance, you'd need some faster memory; PC3700-4000. (DDR500 is also "halved", and runs at 250mhz). Since a 2.4C is a 12x multiplier (12x200 is 2400), when you bump the FSB to 250mhz (DDR500 memory or really good DDR400 memory possibly) this is going to give you 3000mhz. These are 1:1 CPU:memory ratio of course, which is a whole other story.

Hmmmm this makes me think that the PC3700-4000 may actually be a better fit than the above, so let me ask you, if you were going to buy the setup that I'm suggesting above (going with some of the other things you suggest here such as buying the 2.4C instead of the 3.2) which memory stick would you go with if cost weren't an issue?

For your HD's.......the Raptors are a bit faster, especially at RAID 0. You're best bet would use 2 of them in RAID 0 0n the ICH5R controller, then get a WD800JB or WD2500JB for storage. Put your OS, swap file, program files, on the Raptors and on different partitions, then put your downloads, backups, storage, maybe the OE storage folder, on the WDxxxxJB drive.

Good point, go with the Raptors for like dual boot OS drives and then install one of the Caviar's for the storage and app location sounds like a winner to me as well

I can't say about video cards, I'm in the same boat there as you.

Yeah I'm still thinking about this one as well. I've always loved the performance of the Nvidia cards, and haven't been to happy with the ATI in the past, I haven't investigated this enough to know how each of these two camps is doing with their cards of today however so I'll have to give this a good working over before I decide. I have a card I can use in the meantime so I'm not to worried about this area.

All I have to say is, I really appreciate your feedback computer, it's helped me nail down some of my decisions, at least to a smaller set and I know it took you a bit of time to put together your response and I thank you.

I also have to say that I'm grateful to AnandTech for doing all the testing that they do, without people like them to do this stuff, yo yo's like me wouldn't know where to plug in our next mouse, Thanks Guys!

Take care and talk to you guys soon

HTH.

 

[computer]

Sure, RAW non-overclocked speed, the 3.2ghz is going to be faster. If you are totally opposed to O'clocking and want the fastest stock CPU speed at any cost, you go with the fastest P4 CPU made. But that to me is a total waste of $. Just about everyone here (if not all) pushes their CPU's to max and sees how fast they can go. This is the most cost-effective thing to do.

All of the P4 HT (Hyper-Threading) CPU's from 2.4ghz on up are all 800mhz bus (quad pumped) meaning the bus (FSB) is 200mhz for all of them. In the case of the 2.4ghz; that is 2400mhz and that divided by the bus (200mhz) is 12 which means that CPU has a multiplier of 12x....12x200mhz = 2400mhz = 2.4ghz. In order to O'clock a P4, the bus speed has to be increased since the multipliers are locked. If you bump the FSB to 250mhz, that means (in this case of the 2.4ghz CPU); 250 x 12 = 3000mhz. If you do this with a 3ghz CPU, it's multiplier is 15 so increasing the FSB on it to 250mhz would be 3750mhz, which it won't do. See, because of the multiplier, you can get a FASTER bus speed from a 2.4C CPU giving it more bandwidth = more performance.

Sorry, I didn't bookmark the sites that compared the 2.4, 2.6, 2.8 & 3ghz CPU's. All I can say is it's "somewhere" at this forum on one of the threads I posted on, that's how I found & read one of the links. I'm not sure I described it correctly above, but the last sentence is essentially correct. In the tests, all CPU's were able to hit about 3.4ghz +/- only a few mhz, that is about the limit of the silicon so to speak. A 2.4ghz doing that speed (due to the smaller multiplier) would require a faster FSB speed giving it more bandwidth .....also requiring it to need faster memory. They recommended PC3700 for 3ghz + CPU's for this reason, and PC4000 memory for the 2.4C CPU if you want the most out of your CPU and system. This is all going on the assumption you are using 1:1 CPU/memory ratio because that is usually the best performance setting. Running 5:4 or 3:2 lowers the memory mhz....but in some cases can give you a faster CPU speed which may end up giving you better OVERALL performance. It's confusing, I know. This is why a lot of tinkering is required to find out what is best for any given specific mobo/memory/CPU combination.

FYI, PC4000 is DDR500; PC3700 is DDR466; PC3500 is DDR433; PC3200 is DDR400.

Ok, here is one link I found, this is the last page of the review and comments on what I was trying to explain....

If you have a 2.8 to 3.2GHz CPU and plan to overclock, then it is likely to be limited to an overclock somewhere in the 240 to 245 FSB range..................For a 2.4C or 2.6C Intel Pentium 4 processor, you may achieve overclocks up to the 290 FSB range. The winners of our DDR500 shootout ? OCZ PC4000 Copper and Geil Platinum 4000 ? will let you reach the highest 1:1 or synchronous ratios possible.

I forgot about the new Mushkin II being faster than the OCZ PC3700 Gold AT STOCK SPEEDS or slightly higher, you'll see it's review at that link above. However the OCZ PC4000 (DDR500) is still the best for the MAXIMUM FSB speed and overclock with COST NO CONSIDERATION, and with a 2.4C CPU. Again, it's about $70 more that the Geil UP PC4000, not worth it IMO. This is for 2x256mb prices. I never compared any $ for 1gb kits, just too expensive for me.

I believe you previously mentioned something about ECC memory. That's modules with a extra parity bit for Error Correction. I haven't seen ANY tests at all for ECC memory! From what I've heard, it's a bit slower than non ECC, but more stable. However since no one is discussing it, and you don't seem to be able to buy it in dual channel kits, maybe it's either not needed, maybe not made. When I was looking for DC memory kits, I never saw any. Also from what I've heard; that amounts over 512mb total should use ECC memory because the potential errors increase exponentially. I don't know if that means 512mb TOTAL, or 512mhz single sticks. I guess if you can find DC kits using ECC memory and don't want to see ANY memory errors running the Prime torture tests, you'd want ECC memory. But I believe for desktop app's, ECC is not necessary. It's primary use was server config's. But again, in all of the mem reviews and tests I've read over the past few months, I have YET to see any site even mention ECC memory, must less test it, so perhaps it's not even an issue anymore with DC kits. ?

As for the video card, you may want to check this thread out I started and get it "bumped" again for more input. Link

 

[vetteguy]

Does anyone know of any major problems/incompatibilities that this board may have with a 5900? I've finally had it with not being able to play games on this thing with my 9700 Pro and am tired of uninstalling/reinstalling/flashing BIOS's/changing settings/reinstalling again, and I just want the f'ing thing to WORK. If there are no major problems, I'm getting a 5900 today. If there are, I am taking this motherboard out and throwing it out my window. Literally. Anyone who wants it is free to be standing outside, but you might want to wear headgear.

 

[computer]

am taking this motherboard out and throwing it out my window. Literally. Anyone who wants it is free to be standing outside, but you might want to wear headgear

Hee hee. I've been there before with my ATI AIW Radeon.

Most of the sites I have seen that have tested this mobo use the 9800 Pro for tests, so.......unless they are completely different I don't know why the 9700 would not work. You could have a bad 9700, or mobo for that matter. If you had another video card installed the mobo then removed it, then installed the 9700 that could be your problem and you should have reformatted for the 9700. If you did, then I would first try another card you may have somewhere or borrow one, before you go out and buy another card. This may help you rule out a mobo problem. If another card works fine, then problem solved. However if another card does NOT, that could mean just a conflict with left over BS from the 9700, so that's something to consider.

ATI has the worse drivers and software I've ever seen. I've had nothing but problems with the AIW series with 98, ME, AND XP, and on different mobo's! If not for the tuner and capture, I'd be using another card. Their only responses are "install new drivers and software" which only ends up f****** things up even more. FYI.

 

[vetteguy]

Well, a few pages back there was some dialogue between myself and jhites (I believe) where he pointed out that there are some compatibility issues with the early revision Radeons and this motherboard. There was a lengthy article on how to reinstall everything to attempt to correct this problem. This was a fresh install using the Radeon. I have tried everything on the list to no avail. The Radeon works fine in a different system, so unless the board is bad then I am still having the compatibility problems. I just wondered if there were any similar problems with the 5900 series so I could avoid another similar situation. Either way, I might have to accept the fact that this board just completely sucks.

 

[computer]

What kind of problems are you having exactly? I haven't gotten this mobo yet, but it's the one I'm leaning toward (E-Deluxe). If you haven't tried the very latest drivers for the card, maybe give that a try...as well as the latest AGP port drivers. Could be some settings in the BIOS it doesn't like (fast write, AGP aperture, USWC [or something like that] et al). Is the AGP clock set to 66mhz? Let us know how it works out, and best of luck.

 

[computer]

Hey I just remembered something from reading the pdf manual on this mobo. Check out page 43 of the pdf manual, it talks about this. All I did was search for '9700' and found it but it may be listed under other search terms as well. I couldn't search for ATI since that is too common of a root word.

 

[vetteguy]

Originally posted by: computer
Hey I just remembered something from reading the pdf manual on this mobo. Check out page 43 of the pdf manual, it talks about this. All I did was search for '9700' and found it but it may be listed under other search terms as well. I couldn't' search for ATI since that is too common of a root word.

I'll check it out...searching for the pdf manual now. Thanks.

 

[Xeon]

I couldn't find a section here on AnandTech for Power Supply Units so I might as well discuss it here since this is where most of my dicussion has been for this Dream Machine I'm going to build.

I'm close to placing my order for all my components but there is one thing I haven't really talked about and need some feedback for. Power Supplies.

I would like something quiet but since this Thermaltake Highest Xaser III V2000A Super Tower case uses 7 Fans and I'll also need to power all the other components with this PSU, can anyone provide some feedback on what they think will do?

I could go with the Thermaltake unit that's meant for this box which is a 420W PSU, but I'm not sure how good this PSU really is. I've found several reviews (haven't looked here on AnandTech yet) but none of them mention this particular PSU in any of the reviews I've seen so far.

Do any of you have this case? If so, how has it worked for you?

I'd be interested in hearing about all PSU's that you have experience with, since I have no experience from picking one before.

Thanks for your feedback in advance!

 

[vortexted]

Take a look at this guide. Lot of information about bios and settings.[/quote]

WOW! Thanks for that little treasure. I've wondered what 1/2 those settings in the bios do for many years

 

[vortexted]

In my case with the (Asus P4C800-E Deluxe) you dont need a floppy to flash the bios, mine came with an update program in the box. Its a CD program that has an update feature, you install the feature then you flash the bios from a download site that it even picks for you automatically.

Just install it follow the directions and it will flash the bios for you, the CD even has a feature that tells you the bios you are using, I am using the 1010 for my system. You do have to reset your bios after you flash them of course but it was a breeze to do.[/quote]

Yes that is a nice little flash bios prog, Asus Update. I did not reset my bios when it was flashed.. I checked the box to not erase the settings.
Anyone think this is a bad idea to not let it erase the settings?

 

[vortexted]

Originally posted by: IronWolf11
I didnt see if this was psoted or not, but I for one am not happy with the built in 3Com. Firstly, it will not run with sygate personal firewall and a friend who has an ABIT board with the same controller has the same problem. However his D-link router works with his. The problem is, not only does syagte not work, but I am running into problems with this LOM and my Linksys router. It doesnt matter if I DMZ myself even, things like remote assitance in MSN and such wont work. I have installed another netgear external nic and tried a realtek. Both allow me to run everything, not DMZed, and woth sygate. Everything functions properly. Either this 3Com card has a swack of incompatablilites, I am the only one tryign these products, or 3Com really needs to amke a set of decent drivers. Anyone know?

I'm haveing similiar problems with the onboard LAN. I'm using a D-Link DI-G24 rev. b Wireless router. Ethernet cable to my pc to onboard LAN, then a D-Link G 2.4ghz wireless cardbus on the laptop.
My pc connects to the net fine, but the laptop keeps giving me a "network cable unplugged" message. Every once in a while it would pop up on the pc as well but still worked. The laptop even showed excellent signal strength and connected to the router, but I could not get online. After 12 grouling hours of frustration I finally put back in my original Linksls ethernet adapter in my pc and BAM.. everything worked again. But I dont want this damn pci card, I want to use the intregrated Lan.
I'm using WinXP Pro with SP1 installed.. but not the SP1A I read about in that install guide. Not sure if that will help.
I'm giong to try and clean install of the whole system this weekend and see if I cant fix that and other HD issues.

I did notice some firmware updates for my router.. but found those at the end of my 12 hour insanity. So I will give that try next.

Anyone know what might be causing these symptoms?